Since the launch of generative artificial intelligence (AI), many university students have claimed their teachers have falsely accused them of using AI to cheat. While allegations of cheating and plagiarism should be taken seriously, sometimes such accusations have rested on unreliable AI-detection programs.
Unis have always had processes in place to investigate alleged student misconduct. But the impact of these experiences on students’ wellbeing has been mostly anecdotal, and lacking in research.
In a new study, we investigated the emotional impact on students who faced formal academic misconduct investigations.
Our research
In 2024, we conducted a large-scale survey, asking uni students about their knowledge of plagiarism. At the end of the survey, we asked 771 of the participants (from two Australian universities) whether they had ever been investigated for academic misconduct. Twenty-two students said they had.
